Take Me With You
by Hitsu4HinaEva -Hari-Sama
Summary: Arthur hates how his life has played out for him so far. But when the bank he works at get robbed, can the robber show him that he's still got a long way to go? And, wait, what's this about "gang" rivalries? USUK AU
1. Prologue

_Take Me With You_

* * *

It was another Monday. My least favortie day of the week. It's not only the day that I have to go to work, but it's also that everyone else seems so angry or depressed for some reason or another. The only thing I had to look foward to that day was going back home, and even then I'd have nothing to really be happy about.

"Morning," I was greeted by Ludwig, a fellow co-worker of mine from Germany, as he did every day. I nodded, not bothering to stop. He and I both had too much to worry about rather than idle chit-chat.

I swiped my card to prove I came, and took my place. I stood behind a ebony desk with my name on it. I sighed and mentally prepared myself for the crowds of people that would demand their money greedily and hastily.

And so the clock struck seven.

Over the day, hoards of people rushed in and out. They seemed not to give a damn about each other as they yelled and demanded that they get out of the way and other hurtful things. I just kept smiling and handing them their withdrawls, as much as I wanted to tear it to bits and throw it on the ground.

But, at around two-thirty in the afternoon, a tall blond walked in. He shoved his hands in his pockets whilist casualy whistling the American national anthem. The blue eyed man was followed by two others. One was very young-looking. If he wasn't wearing the outfit he was, I would've thought he was a girl, what with the long hair that was pulled into a ponytail. The last person seemed about 25. Tanned skin with green eyes, with a t-shirt that had a tomato on it.

They seemed in no hurry as they the blonde walked up to my window. The others seemed pre-occupied with something or other.

Adjusting his glasses, the blond stated, "I need about twenty grand." I rose an eyebrow. He was not serious. "Do you have an account?"

I didn't get an answer, for he and the other two had pulled out shot guns and exclaimed,

"Alright, everybody, this is a robbery! Put your hands up!"

Shit.

* * *

_**Hey guys! This is something I was just thinking about while I was watching Shrek at my grandma's house. xD Actually, my sister gave me the idea when she was playing with dolls. She made them get married, and they robbed a bank together. So... yeah. :D**_

_**I hope that you'll enjoy this story~ ;)**_

_**~Hari-Sama**_


	2. Chapter 1

It was so odd. Well... maybe odd isn't the word. Just, out of the ordinary would suffice for now, I suppose. So out of the ordinary that some people could look so innocent, doing nothing but going about their buisness, but then suddenly have this other intentions are completely different from what they look like they are.

It was these sort of thoughts that played through my mind as I held up my hands, which were probably shaking, while watching this scene unfolding before my eyes. I'd never thought I'd even hear of a robbery in this small American city while I lived there, let alone be in the building while it happened.

My heart pounded against my ribs, and I felt a bead of cool sweat roll down my forehead as the Brunet aproached my window.

"Alright, you heard him." he pointed to the bag with his gun. "Twenty grand. A.S.A.P."

I nodded quickly, rambling on about something or another. Was it weird to want to socialize with the people who were then threatening the lives of everyone in the premesis? I'd imagine so. I turned and went into the back; to where the vault was. They apparently didn't trust me (and I wouldn't have either), so they sent the short, feminine one with me. He looked sort of Asian to me, but I couldn't exactly put my finger on it.

It really didn't matter at the moment, seeing as though a gun was being held to the back of my neck, and most likely, they were more than willing to shoot if I did not cooperate. So, as calmly as possible, I stepped in front of the vault and entered the passcode. With a clicking sound, it came open easily. I slowly pulled on the metalic handle, opening it up to see a sight not as glamorous as one would think.

It was nothing but shelves with a few boxes, and some ocasional bags. All filled with cash. It was a bit grey, but who was I to complain at the design?

I grabbed the nearest box, not bothering to count, and handed it to the male behind me. "Take it," I didn't to sound shaky or scared, "Take all of it. There should be more than enough in there to cover it."

He nodded, but refused to take it. "If it's not twenty thousand exactly, then you're going to have to make it so aru."

I wanted to gape at him, but my consious told me that would not be the wisest thing to do. Why on earth would he refuse something close to three times as much as he asked for? The answer was beyond me. Nonetheless, I complied with a shaky nod.

I pulled out the desired amount, a lot faster than I thought I could. We left the vault, after closing it, and appeared back into the main building.

I saw the other two get up, looking at me suspisiously. The Asian man held up a hand, maybe to say 'He got it'. I was grateful once their faces calmed. They approached me as we walked over to them. The blond was the first to speak. "Alright. We don't want to cause anymore trouble than has already been caused."

I swallowed down my fears as he leaned down closer to me. "Now... you can either keep quiet and come with us, or you can come screaming for all we care. Which is it gonna be?" his blue eyes were narrowed, focused on me. I found myself blushing. Wait- why would I_ blush _if a robber looked at me? I swear, I was going crazy.

I looked up at him again, and gave a shaky nod. He smiled. A very weird smile, one that his true emotion could not be shown. He backed away, turning to the one with the tomato shirt. " 'Kay. We can go."

He nodded at the blond, and turned to me. He tilted his head quickly in the direction he apparently wanted me to go. I followed them quietly.

I was a little scared to do so, but I turned my gaze behind me as we left to take a look at my German friend. He looked a little shaken and confused, and his gaze was on me.

'I'll explain it all later,' I mouthed. Ha. As if I had anything to explain; I myself didn't even know what was going on.

"Alright, get in." the brunet male actually had a Spanish accent, I noted. I eyed the black MBW quickly before settling in the back seat. Everyone else had gotten in, the Spanish one getting in the driver's seat.

Before we took off, there was a pause. Then, all of a sudden, they all started laughing.

"You guys!" the blond laughed, "We did _not _just rob a bank!"

Just who exactly was I dealing with here?

* * *

_**Well, yeah. Second chapter. Woo! **_

_**Now, I just have to figure out if I want to go with my original plan, or do a more subtle one...**_

_**Tell me which one you'd prefer~ And happy birthday to me! **_

_**~Hari-Sama**_


	3. Chapter 2

_"Arthur..." a large, brown-haired man known as my father called, "Arthur! Get up."_

_I was startled as I awoke, looking up into those hurtful blue eyes. He narrowed them._

_"Arthur, you should listen to what I say the first time!" I closed my eyes, expecting a slap across my face, but apparently he'd changed his mind. I opened them again, seeing that he'd moved over from my bedside to my desk. _

_He was gazing at a few pictures beside my mirror. One of my late mother and I. I swear, every time he'd looked at that wonderful piece of paper, he looked as if he wanted to destroy it. Who would want to ruin such a perfect picture? Apparently, my father. All of this silence was uncomfortable._

_"F-father," I looked up at him, "... I would like to go out later today."_

_As if I'd said that Russian ballerinas had escaped into the house, he looked at me as if I were crazy. "Why should I let you?" he shook his head. "Whatever. Do what you'd like. Ungrateful little..."_

_I winced as more hurtful words passed through his lips. He looked back at me one last time, and spat, "Why won't you try to be more like your brothers, huh?" _

_And he'd slammed the door shut,, leaving me behind with a few tears threatining to fall, and a stinging feeling in my chest. He didn't have to be so rash all the time... did he?_

_I shook my head, trying my hardest not to think like a pessimist. I walked over to the mirror and sat, preparing myself for the rest of the day. As I combed through my blond hair, despite knowing that the locks that adorned my head would forever be shaggy and un-tamed, I turned in my swivel chair and faced the picture my father despised so much. _

_It was on an Easter morning. My mother was sitting on a stone bench. She was dressed in a Victorian white dress, probably made from silk. She held me in her arms while trying to adjust her glasses at the same time. I was probably only six or seven at the time. I was holding onto her dress for dear life, sticking out my tounge at the camera. She appeared to be scolding me, but all the while she held a smile on her face._

_I smiled at the memory. If I recalled correctly, she was pregnant again at the time with my younger brother Peter._

_I scowled as I remembered the name. Peter. _

_I'd told myself that it wasn't his fault. Mother's death was not his fault. But, some selfish part of me still wanted to believe so... mostly because I felt it was my fault._

_I'd recalled the morning in early August, five years after Peter was born... My mother had been late for a meeting, and it had been because I had woken up late. I should've known better. She was frustrated , and she had to take both me and Peter with her as she dropped me off at my school. Once we arrived, I remembered that I had forgotten my lunch. And being the wonderful, doiting parent she was, she'd decided to go back and retrive it._

_I did not get a call from the office notifiying me that she had done so, and I had become angry. All day, I'd sit in my desk, going on about how lazy my mother was and how much of an unfitting parent she was._

_But... when my father called me from his work..._

_I shivered at the memory. _

* * *

I stirred lightly as I awoke from my familiar dream, noting that I was staring out of the window of a car. It was late at night, from what could tell.

I sat up, feeling a pop in my back. I yawned and took a look at my surroundings.

I saw that I was apparently not the only one who had dozed off in the car. The Spanish driver was the only one awake besides me. The other two had fallen asleep. The short Asian one was in a postion as to where I was afraid he was still awake, and was just closing his eyes. The American, however, looked... rather sloppy. Even as he dreamed, apparently.

Wait, why did I feel so relaxed around these people? They'd bloody _kiddnapped _me!

"You're finally awake, si?" My thoughts were interrupted by that Spanish accent again. I yelped quietly(and in a not girly manner, thank you). "Umm... y-yes, I have."

He laughed dryly for a moment. "So, I bet you're pretty confused."

I nodded. Confused was a bleeding understatment. "Who are you people? What do I have to do with you anyway?

He smiled. "I'm Antonio. From Spain. That one in the back with you is Wang, from China. He preffers if you call him Yao," I made a mental note at that, "And this lazy one up here; he's Alfred."

_Alfred. _ It fitted him, in an odd... 'I'm nice and charming, but I go around robbing banks' kind of way.

"And that last question..." he laughed again, "Si... that's classified."

I blinked. Classified? What did that mean? "But, I'm willing to share some other information, if you'd like."

"Well..." he acted very friendly, for a person whom had just kiddnaped me. Away from my small apartment with that annoying as hell Italian lanlord.. away from my perverted mailman... away from my neighbor who threatened me with rifles everytime I said hello to his sister...

I shook my head. No. There was nothing good about this. Nothing at all.

"I would like to know why you wanted only the amount you requested when I offered more." I suppose that would be a nice starting question. I still had one million more rushing through my head.

"Well, we and the others like to be very _...precisa _with our actions. If not, it may lead to complications later..." His faced darkened for a spilt second. So short of an amount of time that I thought that I had imagined it.

"Wait... others?"

"Si." he nodded again, his eyes never leaving the road. "You will meet them soon."

"Well..." I honestly didn't know whether or not if I wanted to know more. I looked out the window and saw that we had driven from Decatur, Alabama to... New Jersey?

"Get some sleep, Británico..." he sighed. "You'll need it for mañana."

And, by some force, I was able to drift back to sleep... Who knows what tomorrow would bring...

* * *

_**Yeah.. Early update, OTL**_

_**Who thinks I should keep going? It's getting pretty tense... **_

_**Tell me in the reviews, my lovies~! **_

_**~Hari-Sama**_


	4. Chapter 3

I felt so out of place. Walking in this large apartment complex, it looked somewhat cheap. I'd been living that sort of lifestyle for quite a while now; in fact, I think the complex was owned by the same company.

However, the people that were there...

Alfred's words from earlier that day echoed in my head again. "You can go anywhere within this area. But don't go in room sixty-seven, alright?" Whatever was so bad about that room was beyond me.

The first person I noticed was up on the second story, looking at me from the railing. So familiar...He had long, blond hair and cerulean eyes. But... they certainly weren't as bright as Alfred's. Wait- I did not think that... did I?

"Il est attrayant peu-Bretagne, non? " I winced. I hardly knew that much French, but what I did pick up from that sentence didn't make me feel much better. I stayed were I was. On the old, wooden bench seemed very uncomfortable until I met gazes with the Frenchman. Now, the bench, though it left my back aching, seemed very welcoming.

I didn't notice as he walked slowly down the painted metal stairs. Next thing I knew, he was standing above me with a seductive smile adorning his lips. I didn't want to believe it before, but now that I got a closer look at him, it was so painfully obvious.

This was my perverted French mailman.

"F-Francis-" I was cut off. He held my chin upwards with his thumb and index finger. I winced. With breath smelled of French wine, though it was apparent by his speech and his movements that he was not intoxicated. "Don't speak, L'Angleterre. Let me handle this."

I soon found myself in a rather troubling situation; what with being pressed up against the nearest wall, with his hands trailing up and down my sides. They threatened to go closer to my crotch each time.

"Oh… Je deviens chanceux. Certainement..."

I yelped when he started to unzip my pants, but he brought another hand up to my mouth to silence me. "Ne combattez pas, l'Angleterre... It will make it easier, non?" I shook my head, but he would have none of that, apparently. He was definitely focused on doing the unthinkable... which was oddly thinkable at this point. Just when I had believed he had one, a voice called out,

"Francis! What the hell, dude?"

He stepped back a few steps, turning to see that Alfred was walking - no, more like stomping toward us. "L'Amérique! I did not see you there.." His French accent was slowly starting to get on my nerves.

"Cut the crap," I noticed that Francis had winced, "What the hell are you doing? "

"L'Amérique, vous devez comprendre…" All this French made my head hurt, "It was... how you say, tempting..." I saw the smirk, not only on his thin lips, but in his blue eyes as well.

"Tempting? Like _he _would hear any of that crap!" Alfred, by this point in time, had walked over and stood next to me with a hand on my shoulder. They both went back and forth with the arguing, and all I could do was sit there and listen. I didn't really understand Francis with his heavy French accent, and Alfred... well, his grammar could be compared to a goat.

"Fine! Have it your way..." Francis smirked seductivley at me again, licking his lips. "We'll continue this later, L'Angleterre..." he winked before struting off in another direction, laughing that annoying 'L'hohohon!' of his.

"Sorry 'bout that, dude... that guy is nothing but perverted." Alfred gave me an apoligetic smile. I liked his smile it was very... charming. Not to mention, it made him look incredibly handsome- wait. I was _not _ falling for my kidnapper... was I?

"Don't worry about it..." I sighed, fixing my clothes and dusting them off with my hands. I never liked the bloody Frenchman, anyway...

"C'mon, we've found a room for ya." He took a hold of my wrist and nodded in a certain direction. I nodded and followed obediently. As we walked, however, I noted that his hand slipped further down my arm. Eventually, we were holding hands on the rest of the way there. This had not helped with my new little habit of blushing a lot recently.

When we arrived at the small-looking apartment door, room forty-two, to be exact, he pulled out a small metallic key. When he inserted it into the lock, the door opened with ease. He pushed the door open with his index finger and went inside. "C'mon."

This room certainly was not as dull and poor-looking as the outside of the complex. There was a hall that connected all of the rooms (and by my guessing, I thought there to be about five). A small, yet glamorous chandelier hung from the ceiling and there were old paintings that hung along the walls. Were all of the apartments so glorious and big?

"Well, you'll be staying with me. This is where you'll stay, for now." Alfred continued walking further into the house, leaving me to observe quietly. "Until the boss says otherwise," he had called from what I supposed to be a closet.

"Boss?" I blinked once or twice. "Who's that?" I found that I had been asking a lot of questions lately; especially to these people.

"Classified. Well, at least until you're in the ranks." Alfred returned with some pajamas and some toiletries. "Here, use this for tonight. We'll get you some more later."

I nodded and took the clothes from his arms. Holding them out in front of me, I found that they were a little big. Were they Alfred's? I blushed at the thought of me wearing his things. Damn that new habit of mine...

"Um, excuse me, sir," I really didn't know how I should behave around these people.

He shook his head. "Nah, just call me Alfred or whatever. I don't care." I was taken aback that my kidnapper wasn't some weird sadistic person with a fetish for people who called them 'master' and such things. I had a feeling, though, that Francis was the opposite of the man before me.

"Well, then... Alfred..." I cleared my throat, "May I ask why you're being so kind?"

He blinked, and then looked at the floor. "I, uh..." was it just me, or did his face reden? Just a tad? "I never really thought about all that. I dun really know."

"Oh." I wanted to slap myself. Way to sound intelligent, Arthur. _'Oh'. _

"Well, you'll sleep down that hall, first door on the right, and the kitchen is right through there," he continued giving me pointers as to where everything was.

"Well," he sighed, "Make yourself at home."

And then, I knew that somehow in all of this... I'd be alright. _Somehow._

_

* * *

_

_**Well, I have decided to continue it all because of the support of a mysterious little anon, and ImaduckQuaQua. **_

_**Thank you two~~ This chapter goes out to you.**_

_**~Hari-Sama**_


	5. Chapter 4

I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed that morning. Alfred had left, saying that he had some buisness to attend to, but at six am sharp? That seemed a little odd to me. He'd showed me where everything was and how to contact him if something went wrong. "Go play some video games, chillax- have fun." Is what he said before escaping out of the door.

I sighed, pressing a hand to my forehead and sinking further into the leather couch in the living room. All of this seemed complicated. Too complicated for me; a man almost in his thirties with no real acomplishments in life... It's not like I was going to get anywhere soon. My boss is a dick, and my love life... well, let's just say it hasn't been going well in the past... twelve years... Francis was the only thing close to a love intrest, and he, well, you get the point.

I shook my head. I was discouraging myself again. No, there would be none of that. I would not allow being kidnapped by robbers to be the best thing that's ever happened in my life. But, if not this, what would be the best? As I tried to think of something, I noticed a buzzing coming from the desk to my left. I jumped, as it had startled me, and I took a look and saw that it was a phone. Most likely Alfred's phone.

Wait, he'd forgotten his phone?

Happy to have found an excuse to leave, I headed slowly for the door and to room sixty-seven.

It was an odd-looking room, even from the outside. The door was a different color from the rest, and it seemed a bit larger. What's more surprising is that the door was opened a tad. I scoffed. Way to keep people out.

I didn't peek my head in, but I could see quite a bit when I just looked through the crack that was already there.

First thing I noted was it was dark. Very dark, but I could see. I saw various lit-up screens along one wall, and people in the center of the room. They sat at a large, oval table. Well, some were standing and some were sitting. They seemed to be having a very animated conversation. Luckily, I could hear them.

"Why must we continue this? We only have two months left; that's hardly enough time."

I blinked. Two months? 'This'? Curiosity taking over me, I leaned in a bit.

"We need to make him comfortable, or else he won't trust us." Oh. I suspected then that they were talking about me. I had to wonder, though, why was I so important?

"Calm down, you guys. That Commie bastard won't be a problem for two months. That seems like plenty of time." Alfred's voice. Who was this 'Commie bastard'? He obviously didn't seem to be on Alfred's good side. "Two months is plenty of time?

"Last time I checked, we need to make him trust us completely, and then let him pull of his first damn mission with only two others! Like hell that's plenty of time!" How strange, that sounded a lot like my Italian landlord back home... But wait. What was this about missions?

"I think he can handle it." I recognized that as Antonio's voice. "He seemed so willing earlier, and he accepted the situation quite well."

"What I don't understand," this voice sounded feminene, but was her accent... Hungarian? "Is why we have to be so kind. Why give away our names? Why give him a comfortable place to stay? If he got lose, all of our plans would be down the toilet!"

"No they would not. As long as we don't reveal all of our members, from this place to over in Europe, we'll be fine."

I'd heard enough. I quickly ran back to the apartment that Alfred and I shared.

With all these questions answered, and many more arising, all I wanted was a cup of Earl Grey and an asprin.

Now, they question that stood out most,

_Should I trust them anyway?_

* * *

It was around 1 AM when Alfred decided to wake me. He shook my shoulder lightly. "Hey, Arthur..."

I woke up immediatley after that, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. "Alfred...? "

"Yeah," he was dressed as if he were just some random tennager or something. "C'mon." He held a hand down to me.

I felt my face heat up again. Accepting his offer, he helped me out of bed. "Dress like you normally would."

I was confused by all of this. Well, of course, I was still a little disorientated due to it being one in the morning and my kidnapper had awoken me for whatever reason. After I had dressed, he'd led me outside to the entrance of the complex. He turned to me with a serious expression. "Alright. This may be the only chance you get."

I blinked. What on Earth was he talking about? "I don't think you should be here. You're still not as involved with us to where you could escape. If you want to leave... now would be the time."

"Wait," he was not serious, "... you're not being sarcastic, are you?"

He shook his head. He gave my hand a quick squeeze before letting it go, and suddenly I realized how cold it was out here. "Feel free. But... you only have a few minutes to make that decision," he looked behind him hesitantly.

"Will you get into trouble if I do?" I tilted my head. I didn't really want to leave... though, at the same time, I wanted to see people back at my own town.

"Maybe," he shrugged, "but it doesn't really matter now."

I shook my head. "Then I won't."

His eyes narrowed. Placing his hands on my shoulders, he leaned in a bit. "Look. I don't want to be the reason you refuse your freedom." I swallowed a breath. We were in such close proximity of each other, that if I just moved my head a bit, we would... I mentaly slapped myself.

"No, it's just..." was it really alright for me to explain all this to a person I'd met only thirty-six hours ago? "I... haven't felt so alive in a few years, Alfred. You don't understand... I don't have much to look forward to in the mornings."

He blinked. "Well, um.. If that's what you want then..." He released my shoulders and stepped back.

I then had to accept it. It was true, not only was I enjoying being kidnapped, but...

I _was _falling for my kidnapper.

****

* * *

_**-blinks- Well, uhh.. this chapter answers a lot of questions, but at the same time, it must raise a lot of others...**_

_**Well, -puts on some medieval armor- hit me with your best shot, my lovies! I'll try my best to answer without spoiling anything.**_

_**~Hari-Sama **_


	6. Chapter 5

"Alright, Kirkland," My landlord—or should I say Mr. Lovino barked, "Are you ready for your first day of training?"

I wanted to say no, not really, but before I could even make a single movement, he nodded harshly. "Good!

"Now, we're gonna have to get some strength on ya, cause you look as flimsy as a fucking toothpick. We'll start with a basic sparring exercise, okay eyebrows?"

I blinked at him, ignoring the insults that were spat at me, "Wait, so you're not going to show me anything yet?"

He laughed loudly. "What are you talking about? I will not be showing you anything in particular. In fact, I'll mostly be shouting at your little punk-ass face from over there the whole time. He, however," He motioned to behind a column, where Wang Yao stepped from behind, "will be doing most of the work 'ere. But not as much work as you, pansy."

A few people watching over on a bench started snickering. A few were laughing about that stereotype about Italians never shutting up, and more were laughing at me. I scowled slightly.

"Sorry, Arthur aru," Wang said with a smile. "We feel like experience is the best teacher."

Before even letting me blink, he started dashing toward me. Not knowing what to do, I just awkwardly watched as my one-way ticket to being face-first on the ground rush over my way.

And... Well, yes, that's how most of it went.

After some training, Lovino and Wang said the lesson was done for today. I was lying on the concrete ground, panting by the time we had finished.

Damn it... I have always known that I was not the best when it came to physical activities. I always had horrible grades in gym back in school. I always had made up for it with my very keen strategizing skills. However, with Wang it was almost as if he exceeded me in both categories. That, I did not like. I always knew that I'd be a loser in most things, but knowing that I had a superior intellect always got me by. Good Lord, did you think that I actually wanted a shitty job like that? That I would actually want to live next to the strangest, most exasperating people on Earth in the most run-down apartment complex known to man? If so, you really need to get out more or maybe read a book or something.

The frustration weighed down on my shoulders as I groaned loudly. It was then that I realized that I probably looked ridiculous on the ground like that and quickly got up. If only Alfred... no, he wasn't here at the moment. He was on a _mission _somewhere.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a person (strangely similar-looking to Lovino, but at the same time not,) sitting innocently on the bench, just sipping on a juice carton. It made him seem more childish than he probably was.

I walked over to him. "Err, hello there."

He looked up at me with a happy, dazed expression. "Um... hi. Do you want to sit?"

I accepted his offer and plopped on to the bench. "So, you're the new rookie, huh?" He said. I nodded. However, I still had to wonder, rookie for what exactly?

"I hope you don't mind Lovino. He really does just have a hot-temper."

I raised an eyebrow and glanced over at the strange man. "I wasn't very arrogated by him. Don't worry." I sighed, "Does he ever back up what he says?"

The man's curl that stood out on it's own on the side of it's head drooped down slightly, and so did his mood. "My brother... well, yes. He used to be able to."

"Pardon?" My face must have been unconvinced, for he sighed. "It's a long story..."

I urged the story on and after some coaxing, he began to explain.

He apparently used to be one of the best fighters in their... um, group (?), and was feared by ever person on his bad side. However, one day, he had went to a certain person (who is supposedly classified) and was seriously injured. So now, his arms will not go above his head.

"Wow..." I sighed after listening. "I would've never guessed..."

"I think the reason he's so tough on people," he said, "Is because he doesn't want people to be an idiot like he was."

"Oh, I almost forgot," I smacked my forehead, "I didn't ask your name."

"Feliciano," he smiled. "I have to leave now, but you can talk to me if you ever need to. Ciao~!"

As the day ended, and I lay awake in bed, I thought aloud, "There are some strange characters here... I guess I'm not such an outcast after all..."

Nevertheless, I was soon going to realize that things here were not as black-and-white as they seemed.

_**Short chapter is short OTL... I AM SO SORRY I DIED. –Avoids tomatoes being thrown- Jeez... I can't believe I made you all wait so freaking long! I'm surprised that you all would actually wait for such a crappy story... I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!**_

_** For now, I must use my mom's computer. At least it's a Mac. :D I'm going to write on my sister's older computer (1999-2003 model or something? _), put them on a CD, then upload it through my mom's computer.**_

_**~Hari-Sama**_


	7. Chapter 6

Throughout the next week or so, my training sessions with Lovino and Yao became more and more frequent, and I was able to pick up some of the moves that Yao was doing and Lovino was shouting at me. After about three days or so, they actually managed to teach me something that did not involve me ending up with a concussion (though this is probably an overstatement, it felt that way)! I was excited until I realized that what they taught me was how to avoid instead of taking initiative. I hate not being able to do anything, but the thought that I still had the upper hand by being supposedly smarter than the two of them made me feel better and gave me some self-confidence in these lessons/mortally wounding exercises.

After the lessons, Feliciano and I began talking to each other regularly. We shared some information, save for the things involving this whole 'association' thing. I learned that while he is incredibly creative, he is a bit of a weakling when it comes to physical things. It made me happy to know that we were in the same boat. However, after mentioning something the long the lines of, 'Well, everyone here started out like that,' I thought to myself, 'Then why are you still like this?' Oh well, I thought. I guess physical activities are just not his strong suit no matter what he does.

Feliciano did mention, in spite of his previous statement, that there were ten people that new some fighting moves when they first arrived. I listened vaguely to the list, but Alfred's name had stood out and I found myself finding some newfound respect for him. Of course, Yao's name was on that list, a person he said is classified, and then there was a girl named Elizabeta. Hm. Sounds Hungarian, I thought. A few more unrecognizable names later, he stopped at the last two and froze, his absent-minded smile still plastered on his face. His expression unreadable with a shadow over his eyes, he started, "And then there's..."

I continued for him, urging his words on, "And then there's...?"

Feliciano suddenly turned his face away. I saw a glimmer from his cheek that was unmistakably a tear. Not one of his usual tears that form whenever his brother scolds him harshly or when I let a cruel joke slip; but instead, these tears reminded me of the face he gave me when he told me about what happened to his brother. Even compared to that, these still seemed much more out of character for him. He stood abruptly, claiming that he was tired and was going back to his room to sleep. I stood as well, calling out to him, but he ran away in a manner that reminded me of a retreating Italian soldier. I immediately scolded myself for such a joke. Now was not the time for that.

I considered following him, but I eventually chose against it. Still, I wondered if it had anything to do with something that may have happened in the past.

* * *

Later that day, I was walking the grounds of the complex, making sure to stay away from a certain Frenchman's room, when I heard something coming from the pool area, which everyone refers to as the training area (which makes no sense to me, since people are supposed to relax around pools, right?). Against my better judgment, I went to investigate. I hid behind one of the large pine trees that lined the area, marking the border between the pool and the rest of the complex, and watched.

I saw a man about my height or shorter with pale-blond hair, with a sort of purple glow to it, smoothed down neatly and with a sort of sword in a sheath on his belt. His violet eyes gleamed as he looked at the practice dummy before him, which resembled a scarecrow in the regard that it was made of straw. Other than that, it was not special. He closed his eyes and let a long, calm breath out in concentration. He slowly lifted the sword out of the sheath with his left hand and swung it to his left side. He took a stance, and then opened his narrowed eyes in a fast manner. In one swift motion, he was off the ground and more than a few yards above the dummy. I am positive that I was gaping when he did several motions with the sword before he hit the ground, and then landed behind the dummy. He stood up, placing the sword back in the sheath swiftly when the straw dummy became eight, clean-cut pieces and landed on the ground. Even the pole on which it stood did not make it.

Awe-struck, I took an absent-minded step forward, stepping on a twig in the process. It seemed like he darted his head toward me a millisecond before the twig could make its loud 'snap!' which filled the silence. I was at a loss for words. With a simple blink, his demeanor suddenly changed to a more peaceful, cheerful one. "Eh? Who's there?"

I, submissively, emerge from behind the tree. I wave sheepishly and laugh lightly. The man smiled. "Oh. You must be that rookie everyone is talking about." I guess I'm going to be addressed as the rookie no matter how much I improve, I thought. He outstretched a hand to me, and I took it. We shook as he said, "My name is Tino."

I nodded, making a mental note to remember that, "M-my name's—"

He cut me off. "Arthur. I know." After a bit of greeting-exchanges, I recognized his name from the list Feliciano had given me. No wonder he is so good, I thought. We were talking by the pool for a while. I asked many questions that I had already asked some of the others there, only to get the same indifferent response, "That's classified."

He laughed at my reaction, stating that I was getting flustered over nothing. Apparently, that made me more so, for he laughed longer.

"Man," He wiped a tear from his eye, "I haven't laughed like this in a long time." I tilted my head, "Haven't you? I had guessed that you were the type with a good sense of humor. You certainly look it."

Tino hummed thoughtfully at that, bringing his finger to his chin. "Do I? Someone else had..."

I turned to him, "Had what?"

He shook his head free from whatever thoughts were troubling him, a smile still gracing his lips. "Nothing. It's just that... Someone I used to admire told me that a long time ago as well."

Before I could inquire anymore about the subject, he continued, "But they're gone now. I guess this is what I get for not accepting them."

Then, before another thought could cross my mind, he stood. "Well, it was nice to finally meet you, Arthur. But it's about to be dusk, and I should head in to prepare a meal for Hanatamago."

"Hanatama—" A thud on the back of my head interrupted my sentence, and before I knew it, a small white dog had hopped over my head and into Tino's arms. "I'll see you later, then,"

He left after that. "What an odd character," I pondered aloud. I glanced up at the sky and figured that I should probably head inside as well.

* * *

As I trekked to room forty-two (I remember the number well, especially since I had read the Hitchhiker's Guide when I was a child.), I could not shake the feeling that I was not alone. Though the only things I heard was the sound of the afternoon birdcalls, crickets, and the occasional cicada, I felt a presence nearby. Was it just my imagination? I glanced around once or twice, confirming that I definitely was the only person walking around the complex on the ground floor. Everyone on the second floor was retreating to his or her rooms. When they all had left, I felt it safe to venture again.

Suddenly, all of the cricket's chirps had stopped, and I froze in place. The only sound was a light fluttering. A piece of paper, maybe? I hoped so.

When something grazed by the back of my neck, I ended up screaming. I jumped from my original spot over to another on the sidewalk. I slowly, carefully turned around after my breathing settled. My suspicions were confirmed, it was a folded piece of paper. On the top, in neatly written print, was my name. I poked it questioningly; making sure it wasn't a bomb or anything. Once I knew it was safe, I carefully opened it fully. It read:

'_Greetings Arthur,_

_We know who you are. We also know your current predicament. Therefore, we have a proposal for you._

_**Join us.**_

_We will be awaiting your reply._

_With love,_

_Ivan'_

I shrieked, for the words 'join us' were written hastily in blood. I dropped the letter and slowly calmed myself. Suddenly, I heard a door slam, followed by my head hitting the ground. In case, you were wondering, yes- Ow.

"You moron! Don't you know the freaking curfew goes for rookies, too? Stupid Brit!"

I recognized the voice from the meeting I had spied on a few weeks ago. That Hungarian girl.

I turned onto my back and propped myself onto my elbows, cursing the pain in my head. I glared up and saw a green-eyed brunette towering over me, returning the glare with full force. My face fell. "What the hell do you think you're doing!"

She gripped the frying pan in her hands threateningly as I groped my mind for an answer, rambling on. Eventually, she sighed, obviously annoyed. She pointed to a man sitting at a piano in the room behind her. He had dark hair smoothed back, yet a few strands were loose. He had a sophisticated air about him. "You interrupted his playing! You know often he plays songs that do not sound like a freaking funeral? Not very! You had better have a _damn good_ reason for screaming this long after curfew."

Her eyes flew to the letter on the ground, and she snatched it before I could get it back into my grasp. Her narrowed eyes scanned the letter, but when she reached the end, they went wide. Her entire face spelled out shock and horror. Her hands trembled and gripped onto the letter for dear life. "R... Roderich!" Her shaky voice called.

The piano man ran to her, "What happened, Elizabeta? Do you hear me?"

Her knees caved in and she fell to the ground, handing the letter up to him. He took it from her grasp quickly. He read the letter over. "... No, this..." His face rivaled Elizabeta's own fear. "This can't be right..."

Next thing I knew, a siren was going off and everyone was going to that one room where that meeting was held last time. Sixty-seven, was it? I could not remember, nor could I care less.

I saw everyone dash inside, dropping everything and leaving their doors open and not even bothering to turn off whatever they were doing beforehand. Tino, Feliciano, Lovino, Yao, Antonio, Francis, Alfred, even...

I had to know what was going on. As soon as everyone entered the room, the entire place went silent. I quietly made my way upstairs and stood by the door. I listened, putting my ear against the door. No good; they were talking too quietly. I sighed.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Elizabeta appeared. She scanned the area before noticing me sitting behind the door. She scowled, still appearing nervous. She looked around cautiously as she grabbed my arm and yanked me inside. "Hurry up, you fool!"

Then I was in.

* * *

**Wooh! Things are just starting to get interesting, nee? I was listening to certain songs for certain scenes. They're almost impossible to guess. Here's a hint: They're all by Japanese artists.**

**~Hari-Sama**


	8. Chapter 7

Everyone was crowded in the room in a somehow organized fashion. I felt a bit uncomfortable, being surrounded by a group of people in an atmosphere that makes it seem like they could possibly kill me at any moment. Then again, maybe they wouldn't. The silence rather made it unbearable as well. Everyone was looking at the floor with troubled looks on their faces.

Then there was that letter. What the hell? Whoever wrote that obviously was either sick in the head or a sadistic bastard. How did it show up in the first place? I swear, whoever sent it was a ninja of some sort. Then again, recently, anything seems to be possible.

I didn't look up at Alfred's expression. I hadn't seen him for bloody days, he was right next to me, and I had the chance! Yet, I didn't want to look. I really didn't understand why, but I didn't. I managed to scan the faces of others that were there through the dim lighting. Elizabeta was to my left, her face knotted into a frown. Her eyes did not leave the floor. Across the table from me was Antonio, despite his usual cheery disposition (which normally got on my last nerves), also had the same deep-in-thought expression. The same went for the others to his right, Lovino, Tino and Yao. Everything was so quiet, except for the slight hum from the computers behind me; you could most likely hear a pin drop.

When I turned to see Feliciano's face, which I was almost certain would be terrified, I was taken aback to see him... angry. He was by far showing more emotion and focus than anyone else was in the room. Then again...

I looked to one of the seated ones at the table. Roderich sat with a focused stare directly at me. It scared me for a moment, but I decided not to let it bother me and pretend he was not there.

It was Lovino who decided to break the silence by slamming his hands onto the table and cursing at nothing in particular. Most of the room jumped at this, but were eventually pulled into different thoughts.

Apparently, Lovino's actions stirred something. For Francis spoke up, "Well, there goes plan A."

Few nodded in agreement, but Elizabeta retorted, "'Plan A'? When was there ever a plan B? We only had one!" I looked in her direction and then to the next person who shouted, "Well, what now? There's no way we can get all this done!"

"Hey, you guys, I don't mean to kill the terrific mood we got going on here, but has anyone else noticed that _he's _missing?"

Then everything became a full out shouting war. It was as if that whoever could out-yell everyone else would win, to me at least. It reminded me much of when my parents would fight, and I didn't like it one bit. I must have zoned out, for the next accusation I heard rang clearly through the air.

"None of this would've happened if it weren't for the Brit over there!"

It snapped me out of my thoughts like a slap on the face. I blinked a few times, and the person continued, "That stupid Ivan wouldn't have meddled with us until necessary if it weren't for our rookie! Next thing you know, he'll flush us out of here," Everyone seemed to be either contemplating what he was saying, or just not wanting to contradict him, "Like last time!"

He was about to continue with his rant when a slam on the table and a yell interrupted him. "That is enough!"

My head darted over to my right, and sure enough, Alfred was glaring over at the man with a terrifying look in his eyes. I made a mental note not to piss him off. "Did anyone ever ask Arthur if he wanted to be here? No, you drag him in to our affairs and put so many expectations on him without telling him a single thing. As soon as things get rough, you blame it all on him when he has no idea what's going on! You all... you're too cruel."

I looked up at him, mesmerized by what he had just displayed. Alfred never seemed the type to snap, or to actually make a serious point. He always seemed optimistic, but I guess everyone has his or her bad days. Despite the fact that I hadn't even fully taken in what he said, he glanced around the room, looking at everyone. "Now, I think it's about time things get straightened out. Maybe you want to start discussing what we're gonna do now instead of pointing fingers."

After he had finished, he exhaled deeply and took a hold of my hand in reassurance. It sent a wave of warmth through my body, and I welcomed it.

"Alright," Tino said, deciding to no longer be neutral in this discussion. "Judging by how impatient Ivan has been in the past, by educated guess, I'd say we have only a few weeks before he resolves to coming to us."

"Well, dammit," Lovino cut in, motioning over to me, "What about his hand in all this?"

Feliciano stood up from his seat. "About that, ve...—we should tell Arthur his part to play in all this before we go any further. Now seems to be as good a time as any."

Antonio nodded, stepping up to plate, "It won't be easy to absorb, mi amigo, but you shall be told. You see, this little organization of ours here... We are currently in a rivalry against Ivan's own group. Well... more like us trying to keep him from doing causing chaos. At first, it started as a little turf war between gangs. Then, it started spreading in the shadows of the world. One group, which would soon develop into the group we are all a part of, decided that it was pointless and decided to drop whatever issue had started all of this. Ivan's, however, did not. Things started getting more technical and he began getting more resources."

Yao decided to pick up from there, "Ivan indeed started getting more powerful. He has made many agreements with many countries across the globe aru. While on the surface, his group has been accepted by political leaders and appears only to be a simple company, he has several drug rings and other things of the such. He's getting approval from everybody—Good or bad."

Roderich joined in, adding, "At any moment, he could start a very big stir of events around the world. He could very well start a war, and has been showing signs of doing things very close to that."

Alfred added, "And, being the only ones with enough cover and knowledge of this, we stood up to the task of taking him down. We're representatives of each country that has branches of our group in it. It's a lot easier this way, actually."

Feliciano was the final one to speak, "And, well, at the moment... we have word that he has somehow hacked into secret political documents and intercepted conversations with political leaders. He, in fact, is trying to start a third world war. Since he favors Russia, his homeland, he has... decided to complete what Hitler could not in WWII using Stalin's method. Taking over not only Europe, but the world,"

This indeed was overwhelming. Everyone was acting a bit out of character today. I did not know which one of my probably useless questions to ask first, so I started with the one that stood out the most.

"What does this have to do with me, though?"

Tino cleared his throat and started, "Glad you asked. You haven't realized it, but you are one of those rare people with a connection to his group. With you being not aware of this, Ivan suspected nothing about you and decided to leave you be. Now the tables have turned. He is still not completely aware that you have been with us. If he had, he could've easily come and fought us."

"Wait, a connection?"

In unison, everyone said, "Classified,"

I wanted to slam my head on the table in front of me, but seeing as that would look stupid, I simply slapped my forehead. "It shouldn't be bloody classified! It's perfectly my business!"

Alfred then gave my hand a squeeze. I sighed, looking around at everyone, stopping briefly when I got to Alfred, and decided to let it slip. If it were classified, then it must've been for a good reason. I must have been out of my mind.

"Alright."

Training suddenly became more and more frequent. Now that I knew the circumstances for what we were fighting for, I actually tried my best (not that I was not before... I just made more of an effort to improve). Even though that the fact that they knew something about me that I didn't pissed me off, I figured that the only way to find out what it is would be to cooperate. Therefore, I did.

I thought that then would be the time to start treating the situation the way I should have from the beginning. That I was nothing more than a kidnapped person and they were nothing more than the people who kidnapped me. That there was no comfortable social interaction, just the way it should have been when I arrived. However, it was hard to think that way. So, I decided to just take everything the was it already was.

Feliciano had started avoiding me. I have no idea why, but he did. It made me upset, but at times, during training, I would see him watching Yao, Lovino, and I. At least he still bothered to remember that I existed.

Tino and I talked often. He seemed the only one I deemed sane enough to hold a proper conversation with on the premises. He always avoided the subject of the past, though, like most of the others there. I let it be. Whenever the matter happened to be brought up, his expression changed to the one I saw on Feliciano's face that day after training. It soon became difficult to talk with him as well.

Surprisingly enough, after the first impression we gave, Elizabeta and I started talking. She wasn't half as bad as I first suspected, but that only reminded me to stay on her good side. Quite an odd character, the Hungarian girl turned out to be, strange hobbies included. We got along, nonetheless.

Her Austrian companion, however, had a very snobbish air about him. It was hard to approach him at times. Although the only times we were near each other was while I was at their small apartment, it would just be plain quite awkward whenever Elizabeta stepped out of the room and left the two of us together. I considered it best to avoid him.

After the usual curfew time, I'd spend my time in the apartment with Alfred. There wasn't much to talk about. It was still awkward for me to even look at him, especially following what went on at that emergency meeting. Nevertheless, he still made a point to at least hold simple conversations with me at least once a day. To make sure we ate together. To make sure there was at least a bit of social interaction between us. If it had been any other situation, I may have believed that he was trying to become a good friend of mine. This confused me to no end, but I found myself doing the same.

"We have an assignment coming up, Artie. You might wanna pack." Alfred said to me one day as he entered the apartment. He looked very excited for the fist time in a few days.

"What? You mean I'm actually leaving here?" I blinked, following him to the back where our rooms were. "You all trust me enough to let me out of here?"

The last question was supposed to be sarcastic, but Alfred nodded. "Yeah. We'll be stopping by Trihaven Port, a small seaport of ours in Canada. It's were we get most of our supplies from there and many of our members there have close ties to the ones we have in Europe." I sat on the bed and watched him pack, nodding as he explained. From the amount of stuff, I gathered that either this would be a long trip or he's just the type to pack unnecessary amounts of things. He stopped after a moment and sent me a questioning look. "Aren't you going to pack? We leave tomorrow."

"You guys kind of kidnapped me, so sorry that I didn't have time to bring stuff to pack." I rolled my eyes as he laughed. "This reminds me... Why did you rob that bank in the first place if you're the 'good guys'?" I put air quotes around 'good guys'.

"Err... Well, for this trip up to Trihaven, actually. We're a little short on cash nowadays..." Alfred chuckled nervously. "Unfortunatley, trying to stop a guy who's trying to enslave the world doesn't get you much money."

"Why _that _bank, though?"

"You were there, and you're important." Something about the way he said that made my cheeks burn, even though I'm sure I was just reading into things.

I eventually excused myself to bed and fell onto the mattress tiredly. So, tomorrow, I'd be going somewhere to help them. Huh.

I, still, have no idea what I'd gotten myself into.

_**DONE! Who wants to beat the crap out of me for lack of updating-ness?**_

_**Anyway, ooh~ Drama! I had fun writing this for some reason. But if their explanation confused you, then don't worry. It kind of confused me, too. xD It'll be cleared up more later, though.**_

_**CHECK MY PROFILE FOR TWO NEW STORIES! One is 'The Way it Works', which, I'm sorry, will be updated every week whereas this might be updated every other week. The other one is a side-story to this one, where it's like you can ask your questions about things here there. Just check it out! It'll make sense. It's in a different format than this, though.**_

_**By the by: I'M CURRENTLY TAKING BETA REQUESTS~! **_

_**Okay, judging by the length of this note and the quantity of capitalized words, I'm too hyper and must upload this. Now.**_

_**Bye-bye!**_

_**~Hari Sama**_


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